4 8 15 News Release

***NEWS RELEASE*** For Immediate Release April 8, 2015 CONTACT: Deborah Hamilton, Hamilton Strategies, 215.815.7716, 610...

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***NEWS RELEASE*** For Immediate Release April 8, 2015 CONTACT: Deborah Hamilton, Hamilton Strategies, 215.815.7716, 610.584.1096, [email protected]

Tax Time = Time to Say No to Obamacare Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom Says One of 9 Exemptions Will Protect Americans from Tax Penalties ST. PAUL, Minn.—Now well into the month of April, many Americans are scrambling to finish up the dreaded task of preparing their taxes. But there’s a special consideration for many—the Affordable Care Act and the tax penalties associated with going uninsured. In mid-February, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a special short-term enrollment period from March 15 to April 30 for those living in the 37 states that have not set up health insurance state exchanges and instead use HealthCare.gov. But Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org), a Minnesota-based national organization dedicated to preserving patient-centered health care and protecting patient and privacy rights, says Americans should continue to refuse to enroll and instead take advantage of one of 9 exemptions, including 14 hardship waiver exemptions, that will protect them from the tax penalty and won’t force them into buying coverage they don’t want. “Obamacare proponents are attempting to scare Americans into signing up for this intrusive and hazardous health care program—and at tax time when Americans may feel vulnerable and apprehensive,” Brase said. “But there are many ways patients can protect themselves from Obamacare and legally avoid paying the tax penalties. The first step? Refuse to enroll. There are 9 exemptions and 14 hardship waivers many may not know about, plus several other ways Americans can avoid these penalties without being bullied into enrolling in Obamacare.” Obamacare advocates are promoting the special enrollment period as a way to avoid the tax penalty for not having insurance coverage in 2015. But Brase says there are 9 statutory exemptions including 14 hardship waivers to avoid that penalty—without succumbing to a disastrous government health plan that compromises care, ties doctors’ hands and takes more money out of Americans’ pockets. A few of the 14 hardship waiver exemptions include: • • • •

You received a notice saying that your current health insurance plan is being cancelled, and you consider the other plans available unaffordable. You experienced unexpected increases in necessary expenses due to caring for an ill, disabled or aging family member. You had medical expenses you couldn’t pay in the last 24 months. You experienced another hardship in obtaining insurance.

For a list of all 14 Obamacare hardship exemptions, as well as other exemptions, visit CCHF’s web site.

CCHF is collecting and sharing stories of Americans who are experiencing negative outcomes as a result of Obamacare. Just two of those include: •

Amy, a single mother of two from Tennessee experienced reduced access to care and disclosure of confidential information. She says, “I enrolled with HealthCare.gov in April 2014. I supplied my income based on my 2013 tax return. When I received all my info for the end of the [2014] tax season, I realized that instead of the $74 a month subsidy I was promised, I was only afforded $10 a month and had to repay the difference. I placed a call to Healthcare.gov to check and see what the income was that was reported on the 2014 application. To ensure that I had not inputted the wrong amount. I was then informed that that income info was not on my application. I was stunned! …[A]nd as of yet, no one can tell me what was reported on my application for the income. IF, they can’t even tell me what is reported…then how is it I had to pay almost all of the subsidies back, as a penalty? Can someone help me navigate what I can do?”



Laura, a truck driver from down south, writes, “This past December I had to quit working due to my own health problems. I was driving for an owner-operator so I didn’t have insurance in the first place. The first thing I thought I would do was to try and get on the county healthcare, but that was taking too long and they (wanted) information that there was no way that I could provide. So, as much as I hated to, I thought I’d try to get on Obamacare. I needed health insurance bad(ly). I could barely walk and was in a lot of pain. So, I went online and put in my info, and for me, not working with no income, the cheapest plan was almost $400! How is that supposed to help anyone? And the deductible/out-of-pocket was outrageous! So how is this helping people that need insurance? It doesn’t!”

Those interested in sharing their Obamacare story may do so at www.myhealthcarestory.com. For more information about CCHF, visit its web site at www.cchfreedom.org, its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cchfreedom or its Twitter feed, @CCHFreedom. Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom, a patient-centered national health freedom organization based in St. Paul, Minn., exists to protect health care choices and patient privacy. CCHF sponsors the daily, 60-second radio feature, Health Freedom Minute, which airs on approximately 350 stations nationwide, including 200 on the American Family Radio Network and 100 on the Bott Radio Network. Listeners can learn more about the agenda behind health care initiatives and steps they can take to protect their health care choices, rights and privacy. ### For more information or to interview Twila Brase, president and co-founder of Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom, contact Deborah Hamilton at 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096, or Beth Harrison at 610-584-1096, [email protected].